Save money by staying in
The Kentucky Derby results are in, and it’s time to either celebrate or drown your sorrows with the traditional Kentucky Derby drink, a Mint Julep.
Going out for drinks can be pricey, and it would sure be embarrassing if you needed an instant payday loan to cover your bar tab. Anyone who has tried to buy a Mint Julep at the track knows it costs an arm and a leg. But if you stay at home, you can make mint juleps for yourself and all your friends for less than what you’d spend on yourself at a hotspot downtown.
Stay tuned for a Mint Julep recipe that will let you commemorate the Kentucky Derby in style. But first, the Kentucky Derby 2009 winner.
And the winner is…
In a surprise upset, Mine That Bird, who left the starting line with 50-1 odds, won the 2009 Kentucky Derby. Calvin Borel rode Mine That Bird to victory as trainer Bennie Woolley watched in awe.
Second place went to Pioneer of the Nile, and Musket man came in third.
Time for celebration
Because of the low odds, anyone who bet on Mine That Bird will be celebrating in style tonight. The few fans who put their money on Mine That Bird will probably be buying rounds of Mint Juleps at their favorite bar.
However, the majority of Kentucky Derby betters will need to save money any way they can after their losses. Follow this Mint Julep recipe from Drinks Mixer at Crave Online to cut down on costs and maintain tradition at the same time.
- 4 fresh mint sprigs
- 2 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
- 2 tsp water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- Sprigs of fresh mint
- Crushed ice
- Kentucky Whisky
- Silver Julep Cups
Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whiskey. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
Until next year
Keep that recipe, and you’ll be all set for next year. Now that you have your Kentucky Derby 2009 results and your cocktail recipe, it’s time to relax and enjoy the rest of your weekend, whether you won or lost.
Ah, the julep – the Bourbon based variant of the Mojito. (Or whichever came first.) Bourbon, or Kentucky whiskey, can only be called so if made from a mash of 51% or greater of corn, and from the state of Kentucky, and some sticklers insist only from the county of Bourbon itself. (Bourbon is also a region in France, and the royal family deposed in the French Revolution.) Kentucky is uniquely disposed to making spirits, as it’s pristine limestone streams and rivers were noted by Scotch-Irish immigrants as being perfect for crafting the Waters of Life. Anyone who laid money on Mine that Bird should definitely indulge in a victory sip.